A condition where a woman is unable to conceive a child despite having regular sexual intercourse with a male partner for a prolonged period, for around 6 months to a year is defined as infertility. In over half the cases, infertility is usually with the male partner which is characterized by a low sperm count. Infertility causes social anxiety as well as relationship problems among couples and can severely affect the self-esteem of the person.
Symptoms-
Male infertility tends to have certain tell-tale signs some cases or no apparent reasons in other cases. In some cases, male infertility occurs due to underlying medical conditions like genetic problems, widened veins around the testicle or hormonal imbalances and some of the symptoms could be like:
- Recurrent problems during sexual intercourse due to severe pain in the testicular zone.
- You might lose your ability to smell due to multiple instances of infections of the respiratory system.
- There might be a reduction in the body hair.
- Abnormal sperm count.
- Lack of sexual desire
Causes-
Some of the common causes of male infertility could be:
- past injury or surgery of the testicles.
- sexually transmitted infections.
- testicular deformation along with low sperm count.
- Blockage of the ejaculatory
In other cases, the reasons could be:
- obesity
- old age
- mental anxiety
- excessive alcohol consumption
- diabetes or as a
- the side effect of radiation therapy
- prescribed medications to treat other existing ailments within the body
Diagnosis and Treatment-
The infertility of the male partner is usually diagnosed by specialist by evaluating the medical condition and past histories of surgical procedures, sexual practices, etc. Infertility can also be diagnosed by analyzing the semen.
The treatments for male infertility are varied and depend on the severity and the exact cause of the condition. Male infertility can be treated by hormonal replacement therapies and procedures, counseling or medication (for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation) and procedures to retrieve sperm which is then used for artificial insemination.